


Finding Dorian

by respoftw



Series: Infinity and Beyond [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 17:18:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7649626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian loves all things aquatic, much to Rodney's great despair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Dorian

**Author's Note:**

> this has been in my WIP folder for weeks so I finally sat down to finish it tonight..

Really, Rodney should have seen it coming.

After watching Finding Nemo every day for a solid month it was only a matter of time before John got it into his head to take Dorian for an underwater ride in one of the puddlejumpers.

In his past two years on Atlantis, Dorian had shown a - to Rodney anyway - worrying affinity with all things water based. What had started as a fondness for bath time had evolved into swimming lessons, then diving lessons, then - much to John's delight - surfing lessons. He was pretty sure that he was father to the only 3 year old in two galaxies that swam more confidently than he walked.

Carson assured him that Dorian was not part fish after Rodney had made him check. _Twice_.

Combine this with the fact that Dorian had broken his Dada's heart by screaming in fear and distress the one time that John had taken him into space and Rodney really should have been prepared.

He wasn't.

"You want to _what_? Are you forgetting that the two times that I've been in underwater in a jumper, I nearly died?! Forget it, it's way too dangerous."

"I don't know if I count a perforated eardrum as nearly dying," John argued. "Besides, there aren't any whales on this planet and I'm not planning on crashing onto the ocean floor. C'mon Rodney, he'll love it."

Two years wasn't enough time to build up an immunity to John's winsome, _I just want to be a good parent_ face so it was really inevitable that he fold like a poorly researched scientific paper.

"Fine. Take him. Just don't expect me to come with you."

* * *

"Dada! Look, fishes!"

As John had guessed, Dorian's fear of the puddlejumper was limited to flying. From the moment they had exited the underwater jumper bay, he had been entranced.

His perpetually sticky fingers were leaving streaks on the window of John's beloved 'jumper as he plastered himself to the glass, manfully trying to reach the outside but John couldn't find it in himself to care.  Maybe this whole parenting thing was mellowing him out.

"Wanna play with the fishes, Dada. Can I?" Dorian turned his big hazel eyes on to John, having long ago realised which parent was the softer touch when it came to letting him try new things.

"Sorry, buddy," John smiled. "Not today. Today we just get to look at them."

Dorian sighed dramatically, looking for all the world like a miniature version of Rodney. "No fair."

"Come on, Dor, you know the rules. Your Daddy said no underwater diving until you're four."

"Daddy's horrible," Dorian huffed. "I don't like him."

John's mind blanked for just a second as he took a moment to process Dorian's words. Dorian _adored_ Rodney. Rodney was his hero, the one he asked for first each morning and last each night, the one he turned to when he wanted a cuddle, the one he showed his accomplishments to first, he was Dorian's everything. Wishing that he had paid a bit more attention to those parenting books that cluttered up their bedroom, John switched over to autopilot and pulled Dorian down from his place on the dashboard to sit opposite him.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, buddy." Dorian crossed his arms and looked away. "Your Daddy loves you so, so much and I bet you he'd be really sad if he heard you say that." He'd be gutted, John knew. It would break him but he doubted that saying so would help him get to the bottom of this so he stuck with the completely inadequate description of sad.

"He's not here," Dorian said quietly. "Daddy doesn't like the fishes and the water and the boatses." John managed to stop himself from pointing out that the 'jumper was a spaceship, not a boat. Now wasn't really the right time for that. "He doesn't play swimming or diving or surf and he falled aseep on Nemo."

"Aw, buddy," John was relieved that Dorian's problems with Rodney were so small but, at the same time, he knew how big they must seem to a three year old. He reached over and pulled Dorian into his lap, feeling comforted by the familiar weight and the minty fresh smell of Dorian's shampoo.

He thought for a moment over whether he should tell Dorian the reason why Rodney was so reluctant of all things ocean related, there was a good chance that it would scare him - Dorian might still be a little kid but he was a little kid in the Pegasus Galaxy, he knew far too much about finality. In the end, it was the thought of Rodney ever having to hear those words from Dorian that cinched it. John pulled out the cuddly whale that Dave had sent over for his third birthday and showed it to Dorian.

"Have I ever told you the story of how a whale just like this saved your Daddy's life?"

* * *

Rodney had not been hovering around the underwater jumper bay. Well, not for long anyway. And really, these crystals had been in dire need of recalibration. The relief he had felt when he saw John's 'jumper soar into view was wholly irrational. He had known they would be fine. John would never let anything happen to Dorian. (He had spent the past couple of hours trying very hard not to imagine John sealing Dorian safely in the rear compartment just as the glass of the 'jumper caved in but knowing how ridiculous a thought it was didn't stop it from occurring.)

He was trying to work on the whole overprotective father thing so he didn't immediately swoop in to hold Dorian close and check him over for injuries while smothering him in kisses. No, he was taking a leaf out of the John Sheppard book of parenting, the cool book of parenting and instead, he hung back.

He hadn't expected Dorian to come crashing into him, flinging himself into his arms and burying his little face in his neck. But, he wasn't going to lie; it was really, wonderfully gratifying.

"Hey, baby," Rodney said with a smile. "Did you have a good time?"

"Uh huh," Dorian nodded without lifting his head, his curls tickling against Rodney's skin.

"Did you see Nemo?" he asked, getting a little worried about how quiet Dorian was. John was exiting the 'jumper now and watching them with a fond smile on his face so Rodney knew nothing too bad had happened. "What about Dory? Did you see her?" Normally just the mention of Dory (Dorian's absolute favourite character because of how close her name was to his own, a little bit of the McKay ego already showing) was enough to get Dor talking a mile a minute in the hereditary McKay way but he just burrowed closer.

"The whales is my new favourite," Dorian mumbled. "Whales are the bestest."

"Well, OK," Rodney said, "that's a good choice, whales are very intelligent animals."

"Uh-huh," Dorian nodded, starting to muster a bit of excitement now, "and big and brave and friendly too. I love them."

Bewildered, Rodney raised his eyebrows in John's direction, he was pretty sure that there weren't any whales on this planet, but he only got a mouthed 'later' for his troubles. Shrugging, Rodney hoisted Dorian up and into his arms and started to lead the way back to their quarters, leaving the control crystals at his feet. He'd finish that later, or better yet, send Zelenka to finish it.

"So, what else do you know about whales?"

Dorian chattered about how amazing whales were all the way home.

 


End file.
